


A Wicked Pack of Cards

by phoebesmum



Category: Sports Night
Genre: Drabble Collection, Gen, Post-Canon, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-11
Updated: 2010-09-11
Packaged: 2017-10-11 16:14:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/114251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phoebesmum/pseuds/phoebesmum
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three single and one double unrelated drabbles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Wicked Pack of Cards

**Author's Note:**

> Written 26/10/2007 and 8/11/2007 for the Live Journal SN100 challenge #154, _Tarot Cards_.

**_I. Le Bateleur_: Some Kind of Wonderful**

Every boy needs a magical uncle. Someone to make cards vanish into thin air, coins appear from noses, ears. Dan had had a book of conjuring tricks as a kid, but he'd never really mastered the art. Besides – he's not welcome around David's children, and those are the only nephews he'll have now.

But when Casey and Lisa are quarrelling, sometimes Dan will tactfully spirit Charlie out of the house for the day, to a movie, a park, the zoo. And if he can take away the strain from Charlie's face, maybe even make him smile – then that's magic enough.

*** 

 

**_V. Le Hierophant_: A Friend and a Confidant**

Try as he may, Isaac can_not_ get it through his employees' heads that this is a workplace and he is neither their friend nor their father. Still they come, unfazed, bringing him their tales of woe. He should hang out a shingle and charge them by the fifty-minute hour.

Some days he thinks he's had enough, shuts his door _and means it_: no visitors today! But it's quiet in his office, all alone. Pretty soon he gets up, shuffles over and swings the door wide.

Sure enough, there they all are. Isaac scowls. "_What?!_" he demands.

And they tell him.

***

 

**_XVI. La Maison Dieu_: Tip My Hat to the New Constitution**

"We're all very excited about this deal." You'd never guess it from Calvin's flat monotone; maybe once you've made your first billion, nothing else rocks your boat. "The show's great, we love your work. Now it's up to us to build on that." He glances at some spreadsheets. "Viewing figures. We need to improve them. There's some feeling that the show's too smart for its own good – that we're losing an important young, male demographic …"

Casey's head snaps up; Dana's eyes widen. Dan reaches a hand to each of them, quieting them.

They hear him out. And then they go.

***

 

**_X. La Roue de Fortune_: Spinnin' Wheel Got to Go Round**

It's been a _good_ evening. Sure, Casey already knew the award was in the bag, but still – the thrill when your name's read out, the applause as you step up to the podium, the hundreds of eyes fixed on you as you read out the speech you'd prepared just-in-case; there's nothing quite like it, nothing in the world. God knows, he hadn't got into this job just for the prestige, he's not that shallow, but who doesn't occasionally appreciate a little external validation? Plus there's the recognition, the respect (and envy) of his peers – yes; Casey's pretty happy with himself.

Lisa lives for this kind of stuff, loves knowing she's married a winner. Casey's looking forward to getting home, continuing the celebration there. Except that Lisa's been strangely quiet all evening. Maybe she's mad. He didn't have much time to spend with her tonight; he was busy with Sachs and the network execs, with Dana, with Isaac and Danny. It's okay; he can talk her round - just like every other time before.

The taxi pulls up by their house. Lisa turns to him, unsmiling. She says, "We have to talk." And, in that moment, all Casey's joy is fled.

***


End file.
